1. Reader-Response Criticism
By: Sieng Ly and Grigor Atanyan

2. What is Reader-Response Criticism?
Reader response criticism started in 1960s and 70.
Reader response critics believe that the interaction between the reader and the text gives the text its meaning.
Meaning
Reader
Text

3. Interpretation The role of the reader cannot be ignored.
Two readers may come up with completely different interpretations of the same text because they might come from different cultures, have different life experiences, etc...
Reading is not passive but active.
If we were to read a text and a few years later read it again, it might mean something completely different to us the second time.

4. Founders of Reader-Response
Louise Rosenblatt
- Credited with formally introducing the idea that the reader’s experience and interaction with the text creates the true meaning.
Stanley Fish
- American literary theorist of the 20th century.
- Suggested literature should not be interpreted as object.

5. There are 3 studies of Reader-Response Criticism
Individualists
Those who focus on the individual reader's experience.
They study on how an individual’s personal emotions, needs and life experiences affect how a reader engages with a text; marginally altering the meaning.

6. Experimenters
Those who conduct psychological experiments on their readers.
They experimented with the reader's state of mind during and after a literary experience.
The studies shown how readers put aside ordinary knowledge and values while they read, treating, for example, criminals as heroes. Readers also begin accept unrealistic things but discard them after they have finished.

7. Uniformists Those who assume a uniform response by all readers.
Uniformists stand to say you will retrieve a different readers response for every type of reader. Therefor, readers can be categorized and you can end up with a uniform response.

8. Objections?
Reader response critics say that this strategy gives readers almost freewill to interpret works however they want to. 
However, to reader-response based theorists, reading is always both subjective and objective. Reader-response critics such as uniformists see a bi-active model of reading: the literary work controls half, while the reader controls the other. Others, see that the reader is completely in charge of how they see a piece of literary work (individualists).

9. Conclusion
Reader response theory is the best theory which makes the reader to be active and to analysis a text by their own ways. The theory achieved great Importance in 20th century and for students and teachers it is the most reliable method of studying and teaching.